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Law enforcement have taken into custody two men in connection with a mobile phone discovered hidden within the House of Commons, which was allegedly designed to play sex noises during the prime minister’s questions.

Discovery and Probe

This phone was located near the frontbench in the course of a standard security check of the chamber. Authorities suspect it was planned to disrupt the keynote weekly showdown between political leaders in September.

An official spokesperson stated, “Around mid-morning on that specific date, a mobile phone was found while conducting a standard inspection of the House of Commons chamber.”

Detentions and Allegations

Enquiries suggested that the phone was purposely positioned in a spot with the intention of creating interference to proceedings in the house.

• A man in his thirties was arrested on Friday 5 September on suspicion of trying to intentionally cause a disturbance.
• Another man in his 60s was taken into custody on the following Tuesday on suspicion of the same offence.
• Both have been bailed to return at a later date.

Precautions and Impact

Heightened security measures were introduced in the Commons after the device was discovered. Sound-guided visits and escorted visits were called off, and there was limited entry to the main hall.

The House of Lords took the same decision to limit entry to the Lords Chamber “as a precautionary measure.”

The spokesperson added, “Enquiries remain ongoing, and we are updating the parliamentary officials up to date with our investigation.”

Gravity of the Incident

The event is being treated seriously as it constitutes a major breach of parliamentary security. The phone was located while hundreds security staff based in the parliamentary area were on industrial action over wages and terms.

Consequently, the public were banned from the parliamentary estate. The union stated that the work stoppage went ahead due to cutbacks in holiday time, stagnant pay, and an ethnicity pay gap.